C u ] 



voyages ; and fuch accidents as the utmoft pre- 

 caution cannot prevent. 



For the purpofe of tranfportation, ripe feeds 

 Ihould be chofen, which have been collected in 

 dry weather, and kept dry without expofing them 

 to funfhine; and internally they Ihould be plump, 

 white, and moift. 



Attention to the ftate of the feeds of Chinefe 

 plants is peculiarly requifite, as there is reafon 

 to fufpecl: that more feeds from China mifcarry 

 from the art and treachery of the natives, than 

 from the diftance, or any defect in conveying 

 them ; as many feeds are brought over, which ap- 

 pear to have been roafted by the Chinefe, pre- 

 vious to difpofmg of them, in order to prevent 

 their vegetation, and thereby keep up the de- 

 mand. To difcover the healthy ftate of the 

 feeds, fome of the larger ones may be cut acrofs, 

 and the fmaller ones bruifed, and by means of 

 a magnifying glafs, or even by the naked eye, 

 it may be difcovered, whether their internal part 

 which contain the feminal leaves, appear plump,, 

 white and moift. If fo, we may conclude they 

 poffefs a vegetating ftate ; but if they are fhri- 

 velled, inclining to brown or black, and are 

 rancid, they cannot in the leaft be depended 

 upon. 



(a) Seeds thus carefully fele&ed, may be pre- 

 ferved by rolling each in a coat of yellow bees- 

 wax, about half an inch thick ; and afterwards a 

 number of thefe, thus prepared, may be put in- 

 to a chip-box, which is to be filled with melted 

 bees-wax, not made too hot : the outfide of 

 the box may then be wafhed with a folution 



